Which strategy helps identify supporting details in a passage?

Which strategy helps identify supporting details in a passage?

• A. Skim the passage for the main idea only.
• B. Note the author’s biography for context.
• C. Note the specific examples and evidence that reinforce the main idea.
• D. Ignore details that seem repetitive.

Answer: (C)

Identifying supporting details means focusing on the concrete examples and evidence that back up the main idea. When you zero in on specific examples, data, anecdotes, quotes, statistics, or explanations that directly reinforce the claim, you can see how the author builds the argument step by step. These details are the pieces that prove, illustrate, or elaborate what the main idea is saying, so spotting them helps you understand how the passage develops its point. Skimming for the main idea alone leaves out the support that shows why the idea matters. Looking to a writer’s biography for context can be interesting, but it doesn’t reveal the actual evidence the passage uses to back its claim. Ignoring details that seem repetitive might seem like you’re saving time, but repetition often signals emphasis or reinforcement of a point, which can point you to important supporting details. So the most effective approach is to identify the specific examples and evidence that reinforce the main idea.

Identifying supporting details means focusing on the concrete examples and evidence that back up the main idea. When you zero in on specific examples, data, anecdotes, quotes, statistics, or explanations that directly reinforce the claim, you can see how the author builds the argument step by step. These details are the pieces that prove, illustrate, or elaborate what the main idea is saying, so spotting them helps you understand how the passage develops its point.

Skimming for the main idea alone leaves out the support that shows why the idea matters. Looking to a writer’s biography for context can be interesting, but it doesn’t reveal the actual evidence the passage uses to back its claim. Ignoring details that seem repetitive might seem like you’re saving time, but repetition often signals emphasis or reinforcement of a point, which can point you to important supporting details. So the most effective approach is to identify the specific examples and evidence that reinforce the main idea.